The Dutch finance minister, who will oversee the EU's finance policy when the Netherlands takes over the presidency of the EU on July 1 2004, has backed calls for a minimum corporate tax rate. Gerrit Zalm agrees with France and Germany that member states should impose a minimum corporate tax rate in the newly-expanded EU. On June 8 Ireland's finance minister, Charlie McCreevy, whose country holds the presidency until the end of June, rejected the idea.
June 12 2004